


It Was You

by TheMadDesperado



Series: Inktober 2018 [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, POV Zevran Arainai, Romance, The Blight (Dragon Age), only a little though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 03:04:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMadDesperado/pseuds/TheMadDesperado
Summary: Etta never thought she would find someone in the chaos in the blight, and Zevran never thought he would be saved by his target.





	It Was You

Etta didnt really know why she kept the assassin alive. Alistair made a big fuss, he tried to kill us, blah blah. He was a much more charming assassin than any in the Carta. 

She had been fighting forever, the first unsuccessful assassination attempt was for Trian, Etta watched as a young dwarf was grabbed with a dagger in hand.

He must have known what Trian was,  somehow.

But Zevran was charming, he had a way with words and a sadness in his eyes that almost screamed. 

She really hoped she was right. She was getting sick of pitting her money in one pot and it turning to poison.

*

So far it seemed Etta was right, Zevran had only tried to help. He had a smart comment or a clever solution, or a shameless flirt.

Etta missed the flirts of Gorim, more than she would like to admit, but she always knew Gorim's flirting wasn't serious. She couldn't tell with Zevran.

Alistair still expected to get a knife in the back, Etta knew that wouldn't happen at this point. 

She disliked sleeping out in the open, a dwarf through and through, she prefered to have a roof over her head than just tree branches.

It didn't help that she was dreaming now.

Zevran found her with her sword standing stock still. He also wasn't quite sure why the warden spared him, but he wasn't going to give up this opportunity. 

He might actually escape the crows with her.

But now he was slightly worried for the dwarf who saved him. She was out of it, eyes glazed over staring at something not there. 

When he called out to her she jumped like he splashed cold water on her, eyes wide, how could someone sneak up on her?

That was when she tried to get him to go back to sleep, and he knew something was wrong. 

*

The first time she asked him for a story he couldn't believe what he heard, but he accepted the request. He told her about the time he fell into the river while trying to infiltrate a castle. 

Her eyes were wide with curiosity, she never knew rivers of water before the blight. She asked and probed about why he was there and who the target was. 

Zevran was even more shocked when she asked about how he joined the crows, most of his employers didn't care about who he was, they only wanted the job done. 

He figured if was just that they had to stay together to stop the blight. He was surprised once again when she gave him gloves from the Dalish, that were so similar to his mother's they might as well have been.

He stared at the woman for a long time that night, over the fire she looked like a dream. Maybe she was and he did die when he attacked her.

He didn't think she would accept his proposition at all. He still knew nothing of the woman who saved his life save her name. He was right though, she did need a massage. The other stuff after was just a bonus.

*

When she told him that if he really wanted to leave he could he was shocked again. He was getting tired of this, every time he thought she was one thing she did something to prove he was wrong.

His freedom was important, he never really was free. Bought by the crows and trained since then he only knew that life.

Now Etta was telling him he could do anything he wanted, but when she tried to set him free her eyes were so sad. He didnt know what to say, he wanted to know he was needed, did she still need the assassin at her back, was she tried of him already?

"And if I want to stay?"

"I would be so happy Zev, if that's what you want."

*

He was starting to feel something more for the woman. They were deep in Orzamar's politics, and she knew every step that was being taken. She hasn't explained her past, but the way the guards spat at her said it wasn't anything good.

She did not defend herself though, and Zevran was begging her in his head to refute the words that came at her with such acid. It was worse when they wouldn't even look at her.

When they finally got to Bhelen Zevran was confused. The man got down from his throne and embraced his sister. They held each other for a while before it broke, the kingslayer and kinslayer once more planning. 

Zevran asked her that night how she became a warden. 

It was a loaded question, and she gave him the ammunition. She killed her brother for her people and was thrown into the deep roads. She said she deserved it, she got caught.

He sat in silence staring at the woman who had saved every one she met and only killed who she had to. 

It didn't matter, he killed his lover, how much worse was a brother.

*

When Talisen came back for him he knew what he felt. He was scared of the feeling, only having felt it for Rinna, and that didn't end to well. 

He was scared Talisen would manage to get the hit on Etta, poison her and take the last good thing he had. Zevran couldn't lose her now.

She got the final hit on his former friend. He was free, but not. 

She wanted him by her side. She said though once more that he could go. The sad eyes followed by a sad smile. She was setting him free.

He realised that he didn't want to be free without her. He wanted to be bound to her forever, to save her the same way she saved him. He knew what she did, it wasn't much different than him.

He tried to bind himself with his earing. She wouldn't accept it, not if it wasn't anything. That was the first time they fought. 

He was angry that she could just give him gifts, and she took all trinkets and still wouldn't take his?

She didn't take him with when she went to save the queen. He regretted his words and when he went into her room to speak she was gone, a note left just in case he came by.

She would be back by night, and he would make it right. 

When Anora got back with out her Zevran started to panic. She was in the biggest prison this side of Thedas, and Alistair and Anora wanted to sit and do this the long way.

Zevran had his gear ready when Wynne found him, he didn't want to fight with the older woman, but he had no reason to fear she was hoping he had the same idea she did.

His chest felt like an ogre crushing his heart, and the closer they got to the prison the stronger the ogre inside got. 

Once inside and past the guards that would believe them he was silent, he couldn't mess up here. He was serious, planning and calculating, they killed every one that got in their way.

They found the holding cells, and very quickly after the Jailer. Zevran showed the man no mercy, slitting his throat and yanking his keys off his belt.

She was in the cell farthest from the entrance, all but naked with only her under clothes left shivering. Zevran fumbled once with the keys, but quickly swung the cage open when he could. 

She was beaten and bloody, but not broken. 

Zevran tried to not worry as his warden winced when she put on her armor, Wynne started to heal her as soon as she was out of his arms.

When they returned to the Arl's estate Alistair and Eamon nearly bit off their heads. Zevran didn't even hear the rebukes, he was staring at the woman he loved.

*

Zevran didn't know what Morrigan had said that freaked Etta out, but it might not have been her, it might have been Riordan, but he knew by the look on her face something was wrong.

She played it off. 

When Zevran left the room though he saw Loghain standing out side their room, hand about to knock.

Zevran didn't know what the man was going to ask, and never found out. The man apologized and turned to the other door, that still was not his.

The next morning was dour, Etta couldn't look Zevran in the eye when they left Redcliffe. He knew something was wrong, but she would only say it was the Archdemon messing with her head.

When they reached Denerim, he understood.

He felt like he was losing Etta more and more though, she was far away from him in battle and she still had yet to accept his earing, though he hadn't offered it again.

He did when they were at the top of Fort Drakon. He stood covered in blood and exhastuted, and asked if she would take the earing as affection. 

She kissed him like she would never kiss again and said yes. 

Zevran never thought he would live through the blight, see the Archdemon in person, travel all of Fereldan or help pick two rulers.

But most of all he never thought he would fall in love. 

Zevran screamed when she ended the blight. When she was flung to the other side of the tower he scrambled over to her as fast as he could. 

She laid in a heap, her body sprawled like a doll cast aside. She made no movements when he begged her to move.

The last good thing for Zevran was seemingly gone. 

Loghain ran up, his chest heaving and eyes heavy and guilt ridden as he stared at the dwarf.

Zevran gathered her into his arms and prayed. Not to the maker, or her ancestors. He just begged in Antivan for this not to be the end.

He felt arms touch him and couldn't hold in the gasp. He thought it was Wynne, of maybe even Loghain. 

Etta was holding him right back.

His heart broke and soared at the same time. She saved every one, she was willing to die to do it to. 

She started to beg for his forgiveness. She was rash about the fight. He said there was no wrong done. 

When they released eachother Etta stared at Loghain for a long time before wordlessly embracing the man. 

No one but them knew how she survived. 

Loghain gave the two a long look after she let him go, neither know what he thought then, only that something had made him do the ritual, and only Etta knew that fact.

It didn't matter though, Zevran watched as they placed her on the heroic pillar she deserved to be on with soft eyes.

She would go down in history, as would he and all that helped, but all he cared about was getting away with the woman he loved.

When the ceremony ended she grabbed him and started towards the docs, saying only that she needed to get away with him.

The two left hand in hand, two broken halves that managed to find each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I took an actual vacation and it happened to be in Oct. Well here is my love Zevran, and the kinda not canon world


End file.
